Birthright
by Rowana Farrin
Summary: The team discovers that there's more to Ree'an than meets the eye, or that she even knows herself! Can her secret help them, when they are faced with trouble off world? Pt 2 of 'Daughter of Pegasus' series COMPLETE!
1. Hidden Secrets

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. sniff_

_Note: This is the sequal to "We're All Human" and takes place directly after it. If you haven't read that one, please do. It will be a big help in understanding this story better. You can find it on this site._

Birthright

By Rowana Farrin

**Chapter One: Hidden Secrets**

"And this is one of my favorite rooms...the puddle jumper bay!" Major Sheppard smiled proudly at the large room full of Ancient ships.

"Puddle jumpers?" Ree'an frowned. She had been too distracted by the amazing sights of Atlantis to pay much attention to him during the tour, but this statement had caught her attention. '_How could these large blocky things jump puddles? And why would you want them to?_' Of all the strange things she had seen in the city, this was by far the strangest.

"Yup." the Major didn't seem to notice her bafflement. "We fly these babies through the Stargate." He patted one fondly and led her around to the back.

"They fly?" she asked quizzically.

"Of course," said Dr. McKay, coming up behind them. He started to explain something about "antigravity generators," but Ree'an had no idea what he was talking about. She did like the puddle jumper though. The small space inside was comfortable and felt somehow safe and warm. It was a startling difference from her experience in the Wraith dart less than a day ago. She smiled and sat in one of the cushioned chairs in front of a bank of crystal buttons.

"Are these what makes them fly?" she asked, reaching forward to try one.

"Yes," McKay started, "but they only work for..." Ree'an's hand touched the controls and the whole ship lit up in response. "...people with the Ancient gene," he finished softly. The two men stared at each other for a moment, then at her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked in concern. They had never looked at her like that before and it was making her nervous.

"Would you excuse us for a second?" Sheppard asked politely. "And please don't touch anything." He dragged McKay outside. "She has the gene."

"I can see that, but that doesn't explain how. No one else in this galaxy has had the it so far."

"Except Chaya."

"You don't think she could be..." he trailed off.

"I'm not sure. She doesn't seem to be, but I wouldn't rule it out." He thought for a second. "Stay with her, I'm gonna tell Weir what's going on." He turned and started to go.

"What am I supposed to do?" McKay asked in annoyance.

He shrugged. "Explain more about the jumper maybe. Just keep her occupied." Without waiting for more protests, he ran the short distance to the control room and was immediately greeted by Dr. Weir.

"Major Sheppard. How's our new guest?"

"Our 'guest' just activated one of the jumpers." He paused a moment to let that sink in. "She has the Ancient gene."

Before she could reply, Dr. Beckett rushed in, carrying a laptop and looking quite excited about something. "Dr. Weir! i found something interesting about Ree'an."

"She has the Ancient gene," Sheppard supplied for him. "We know."

Beckett was slightly taken aback, but he recovered quickly. "Well, yes. But it's more than that." He set the laptop on an empty table and pointed to the screen. Three spiraling DNA patterns were displayed, each with a slightly different sequence. "The top one is human, the next one down is our lass, Ree'an."

"They're different," Weir observed.

"What's the bottom one?" Sheppard asked.

"That's the DNA I took from Chaya. Her DNA shares a lot of commonalities with Ree'an's."

"So she is an Ancient," Weir concluded.

"Not quite. Her DNA is similar, but it also has a lot of human alleles as well. I'd say she's almost exactly fifty-fifty."

"Wait," Sheppard stopped him. "Are you saying she's _half_ Ancient?"

"Well...yes. To have this many Ancient genes she would have do be a direct descendent of a true Ancient."

"How direct?" Weir asked.

"A parent; grandparent at the very least."

"How can that be possible? The Ancients left over 10,000 years ago. Could a group of them have survived that long?"

"I doubt it, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility."

"Why don't we just asked Ree'an?" Sheppard suggested reasonably.

Weir nodded. "Where is she?"

"In the jumper bay being lectured by McKay." He grinned. "We should probably intervene before she gets really tired of it."

Ree'an was indeed getting tired of it, but she had amused herself by seeing how many different diagrams she could bring up on the ship's screen. Though she had no idea what they were for, she found it fascinating that they popped up at a simple thought from her mind.

"I thought I asked you not to touch anything!"

Ree'an jumped and saw Major Sheppard staring at her sternly through the window. Dr. Weir and Dr. Beckett were with him and all three looked extremely thoughtful about something. It made her slightly nervous.

"You took your time," said a grumpy McKay. "I have better things to do besides baby sit you know."

Sheppard crossed his arms and frowned. "Well you didn't do a good job at that."

"She wasn't breaking anything!" he cried defensively.

"Alright you two," Weir interrupted. "Ree'an, I need to talk to you. Will you come with me?"

"Is something wrong?" she asked suspiciously.

Weir gave her a reassuring smile. "No, I just wanted to ask you a few things, alright?"

Ree'an nodded. She wasn't quite sure why they would suddenly want to ask her things, but she knew she was a guest. She did not want to ruin her relations with these people when she was only just getting to know them.

Leaving the others behind, Elizabeth took her to one of her favorite places: the balcony behind the control room. From here they could look out on the vast city of Atlantis and the endless ocean beyond. It was a beautiful sight and could give one peace even in the darkest hours.

Weir leaned casually on the railing, enjoying the cool breeze that came up off the water. "I wanted to talk to you to, because I want to get to know you a bit more," she told Ree'an kindly. "Why were you so eager to join us here? Don't you have family who'll be worried about you?"

Ree'an looked down. "I have no family. At least, not anymore." She hoped she wouldn't ask why; this was not a pleasant subject.

Elizabeth was surprised. "What happened?"

She sighed. She wished she didn't have to explain, but knew that she couldn't get out of it. "A few years ago, the Wraith attacked my village. They came in such great numbers...so suddenly...there was no chance for escape. I had snuck out early in the morning to play in the forest. I heard to Wraith coming and...I tried to get back...but the village was already surrounded. I could only watch...watch as my friends were taken...before my eyes. I can still...hear their screams...even now." She shocked her head and tried to drive away the memories. She had never had to explain this before and she discovered that the pain was still fresh even though it had been years since the event.

Elizabeth put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Were your parents taken too?"

"Yes. Though, my father had been taken years before when I was nine. He just left one day for a walk...and never came home. My mother...she always said he would be back someday. But now...I guess she'll never know." Ree'an stared out at the sea and wished her parents could see this wondrous place. "She would have loved it here."

Thinking of them brought up another distant memory that she had almost forgotten. A memory of cold nights when the snow piled up outside and the winds bit at the roof. She remembered sitting around a comforting fire, wrapped in soft blankets with both her parents by her side. It was on those nights that her father would tell stories. They were tales of far distant worlds and courageous battles with the Wraith. The heroes were driven back to one sanctuary and faced enormous odds, trying to push back the tide of war, but in the end forced to leave.

"They left behind their city," her father would say, "a great city of silver and steel. It sleeps far beneath the sea, even to this day. Its great towers are dark now, and no one walks its once bright halls. But we have hope, that one day it will rise again. And once more stand as a symbol of all the good people who have suffered against the enemy we know as Wraith. Someday it will be home again."

She wasn't sure why she had thought of that old story just now, but she suddenly realized that the city in the story seemed much like Atlantis. And yet, it couldn't be...could it?

"Ree'an?" Dr. Weir interrupted her thoughts. "Are you alright?"

"What? Oh...yes," she replied, clearly distracted. "Was there something else?"

"No," Weir said uncertainly. Something was clearly bothering her, but if she didn't want to talk about it further, she wasn't going to force the issue. "Do you want to get something to eat?" she asked instead, hoping a meal might help the girl relax.

"Yes," she answered absently. She turned reluctantly to follow her back inside. Then she shook her and forced herself to forget the matter for now. _'I really have to pay attention to the present,_' she thought.


	2. A Simple Mission

_AN: '_sigh_' Nobody loves me. Well, I'm gonna keep trying and post the next chapter. Please leave me some reviews! I really want to know what you think!_

**Chapter Two: A Simple Mission**

Ree'an and Major Sheppard circled each other on the matt. Faces grim with concentration, each searched for an opening or a way to take the other off guard. The morning light bathed them both in a golden glow and shown from the polished wood of their weapons. The Major twirled two long sticks in each hand, but Ree'an held a long staff that was almost as tall as she was. The Kor'ania people preferred staffs and learning the fighting style had been one of her favorite lessons.

Sheppard came forward suddenly with a hard blow from above. She blocked and tried bringing the other end of her staff to his side. He block just as easily and the two continued to circle. Ree'an watched and waited, binding her time and searching for a way to use her speed and agility. The Major was much stronger than her and she knew she would never win in close quarters.

He tried again, this time aiming for her shoulder. This time instead of blocking, she ducked and the weapon whooshed past above her head. Moving quickly, she struck his knee and circled around his back. He faltered and before he could recover, she appeared behind and whacked him in the small of his back. He fell forward, caught himself with his hands. For a second Ree'an hesitated, thinking to let him recover. Suddenly he rolled over and caught her legs in his own, making her slam to the ground in surprise.

Sheppard was on his feet again, but Ree'an was already on her knees and prepared. Before he could strike again, she jammed her staff between his legs and drew it forward. Thrown off balance, he tripped and fell heavily on his back in a tangled mess. She rose quickly and placed one end of her weapon on his neck before he could make another move.

"Not bad," he said, sounding casual despite being out of breath.

"You still need to move faster," Teyla scolded him. She gave him a hand up. "Shall we try again?"

He checked his watch and shook his head. "We have to get going; Dr. Weir is expecting us." He starting to pick up his things and shove them into a duffle bag. When he'd finished, he rubbed his head with a small grin. "You're stronger than you look, Ree'an."

"Did I hurt you?" she asked in a worried tone.

"Nah," he waved dissmissively. "And it was a compliment, ya' know."

"Oh."

"You are very skilled," Teyla told her with an approving smile.

Ree'an smiled back. "Thank you."

The three began to walk back to command. Ree'an paid careful attention to which way they went, so she would be able to find her way back on her own. Though she had been in the city for almost a week now, she still got lost easily; even when it was just getting to the mess hall and back.

"So, Ree'an," Sheppard began. "What do you think of Atlantis so far?"

"I like it a lot. The city is so beautiful. It's like living in one of my childhood stories."

"And what about us? I mean, do you like living with us? Anyone mean to you or anything?"

"Oh no. You are all very kind to me. I am grateful." She smiled, but Sheppard sensed that she was holding something back.

"But?" he asked knowingly.

She sighed. "I miss the trees," she admitted

Teyla smiled kindly. "You should visit the mainland. I visit my people there often and the village is surrounded by many trees."

Another thought occurred to Sheppard at this suggestion. "We can go after we get back. And I can teach you how to fly the jumper on the way over."

Ree'an's eyes light up like a child on Christmas. "Truly? Thank you so much!" She hadn't flown anything since the Wraith dart, and even though it had been terrifying, it had been exhilarating too. She couldn't wait to get into the air again. "When will you be back?" she asked eagerly.

"Tomorrow. If all goes well."

They reached the control room a few minutes later. The place was still in a bit of a shambles from Ree'an and McKay's crash a few days earlier. The broken window was covered in plastic until they could figure out how to fix it and the stairs also had a few nasty dents in them. The dart itself had been laboriously removed and lifted into the jumper bay. Dr. Weir and Lt. Ford were already waiting for them in front of the briefing room. Dr. McKay was there too, looking very disgruntled.

"I don't know why I have to go on this mission," he complained. "I still have a lot of work to do on the dart and frankly I don't think anyone else has the competence to do it while I'm gone."

"Because you're part of my team," Sheppard reminded him sternly. "And, like it or not, you can't just decide to stay for your own reasons. Besides, I'm sure Dr. Zelenka is more than capable of taking care of the dart in your absence."

McKay opened his mouth to protest more, but Weir stopped him. "Alright gentlemen. Let's get this briefing started."

Ree'an smiled a farewell and left to find something to do while she waited for the promised flying lesson. She had a feeling the time would pass very slowly. Weir watched her go. "She certainly is remarkable."

"Yes she is," Sheppard agreed.

"Any luck figuring out where she got the Ancient genes?"

"Not yet. From what she's told us, I don't think she even knows. And she certainly isn't any kind of threat to security and we could us someone else with gene around."

She nodded. "I agree." She smiled. "In the mean time, let's keep trying these addresses. We're going to need more resources if we want to survive." They both turned and closed the tall doors behind them.

The mission was to visit a new planet from the Ancient database. The little they knew was that the Stargate was in a dry, mountainous region with little plant or animal life in sight. Neither did there appear to be any native humans on the planet and the team was assigned to scout for signs of sentient life or possible resources. A simple, routine mission.

At least, that's how it began.

X X X

"McKay, have you found anything yet?" Sheppard asked. He flew the jumper up higher so they could get a better view of the landscape. It looked bleak.

"No," he replied irritably. "There's nothing here but rocks and dust. This is a waste of time, we should just go back."

"We've only been here ten minutes. We'll keep looking."

A few minutes later, Ford pointed to something in one valley. "What's that?"

Sheppard magnified the area to reveal what looked like a small, walled city. "That looks promising." He cloaked the jumper and landed a short distance from the settlement.

The land was rocky and choked with dust. Great white capped peaks rose in the distance. Vegetation was scarce and usually only rough grasses or scraggly hedges. Water was more scarce than life; not a single drop could be seen anywhere beyond the tantalizing snow thousands of feet up.

The city itself had a high wall of pinkish stone. The wall was old and crumbling with the tops of thin trees peaking above its edges. A high gate, closed with row of sharp spikes, seemed to be the only way in or out. Just inside they could see green fields lined with irrigation ditches and a few dilapidated huts, but no people.

"I wonder where everyone is?" Sheppard said. His voice seemed startlingly loud in the prevailing silence.

"I do not know," Teyla answered. "It is most strange."

"Can we worry about that later and get into some shade?" McKay asked. "I don't even want to think about what all this UV radiation is doing to my skin."

"It's not that bad," Sheppard scolded. This wasn't really true. It was brutally hot. The sun blazed overhead making them all extremely uncomfortable. Sheppard stuck his head through the bars of the gate and glanced around. "Hey!" he shouted. "Does anyone live here?"

An irritated man appeared out of a small shack just beyond the entrance. His hair and eyes were jet black and his skin was extremely tan. He looked like he had just gotten out of bed and was very annoyed. "What do you want, strangers?" he snapped.

"At the moment we would like to get out of the sun," Sheppard answered pleasantly. "Eventually, we'd like to get to know your people a bit, maybe do some trading..."

The man grunted in disinterest and began turning a winch to raise the bars of the gate. "You can come in, but be silent! Everyone sleeps at the noon hour." With that he closed the gate behind them and went back to his shed, presumably to resume his nap.

"What's his problem?" Sheppard scoffed.

"He probably didn't like us waking him up," Ford pointed out.

Sheppard shrugged. None of them really minded the man's rudeness. They were just glad to get under the cool shad of the trees. Granted, it wasn't much, but it was a major improvement to being outside on the dusty ground. They all sat down took long grateful drinks from their water bottles.

"I wonder if it's always this hot here," Ford mused.

"Well it certainly is now," McKay huffed. He was smearing himself with more of his smelly homemade sun block. "And the people don't seem very nice either."

"We haven't really met them yet," Sheppard said. "Don't judge them too quickly."

"Still..." Teyla put in. "I also have a feeling that these people are not friendly."

"Well, we'll find out soon enough."

TBC


	3. Said Too Much

_Thanks for the reviews guys! It makes me very happy! There was a little confusion so to clarify, about a week passes between chapters one and two. Sorry, I should have made that more clear. Thanks for the support!_

**Chapter Three: Said Too Much**

Ree'an once again stood on one of the many balconies of Atlantis. She stared out at the ceaseless waves and the crystal sparkle of sunlight on water. She still could not get used to seeing so much of it in one place. It was like something from a fairy tale, or a dream. Her mind wandered back over what had happened to her in the past week. In just a few short days she had left her own world behind to come to this one. Yet she had no regrets; at least here she had friends again. And maybe in time, they would be like a new family.

Her thoughts drifted to her own family. It had been so long since they had all been together that the memory was fleeting and distant. But she could still see it; like a picture into her past. She remembered her father best. His stories and songs had taught her morality and compassion for all things. He always seemed at peace, no matter what was happening in the outside world. Almost unconsciously, she began to hum a childhood tune. Her humming grew louder, until finally, as if stirred on by the memories of her lost family, she broke into song.

Her soft voice echoed and danced around the many spires of the city. It filled the air with a sound that it had long been wanting. She sang one of her favorites: an old one about the silver city, aggressed by a raging storm. The melody rose and fell in mighty crescendos, like waves crashing against rocky shores.

In the sudden silence when she finished, a footstep resounded behind her. She whirled and saw Dr. Beckett standing in the doorway. She felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment and avoided his eyes by looking at the floor instead. To her surprise, her eyes were met by two golden globes. A small green lizard stared at her in curiosity as he swayed slightly on his hind legs.

"That was beautiful," Beckett commented. "It's long since I've heard a sweet voice like your's. Jamie liked it too."

"Thank you," she mumbled in reply. She was unused to such praise.

"It's Ancient isn't it? The language of your Ancestors?"

"Yes. My father taught it to me when I was a child."

"He taught you well. Ya needn't be so shy about it."

Jamie chose this moment to paw at her leg for attention. Automatically, she picked him up and gently scratched his eye ridges. The little creature closed his eyes and crooned with pleasure. His presents was a comfort and Ree'an felt herself relaxing.

Carson smiled. "He certainly seems comfortable with you. I've never seen 'im take to someone so fast."

"I like animals," she replied, as if that explained the lizard's affection. "I used to have a pet cales. I took him hunting with me all the time."

"What happened to him?"

She sighed. "He died...last year." Somehow the death of her beloved pet was easier to take. After all, he had lived a full live; unlike her family.

He nodded sympathetically. "I had a dog in my youth. Could never have ask for a better companion. But he took sick one day and passed away. Life can be so fleeting sometimes." After a moments thought, he endeavored to change the subject. "I here you're gonna get flying lessons."

Ree'an brightened up considerably. "Yes!" she said with excitement. "As soon as Major Sheppard gets back, he promised to teach me."

"Better you than me, lass," he told her with a small chuckle.

Ree'an frowned. "I thought your job was to care for people...you can fly too?"

He sighed. "Only when I half to. Dr. Weir decided that everyone with the ATA gene should be able to fly the jumpers in an emergency. Since there are so few of us, I couldn't say no."

"I see," she said uncertainly. "Only certain people can fly them?"

"That's right."

She cocked her head in confusion. "Why?"

'_Oh dear_,' he thought. '_How am I ever going to explain this one?_'

X X X

Sheppard and his team had been waiting for nearly half an hour when people started to emerge from the houses and make their way to the fields and gardens. Like the guard, they were dark haired and tan. They wore long light garbs of white or other pale colors. Most of the men had small round caps, while the women had kerchiefs to keep their hair under control. It reminded John distinctly of his time served in Afghanistan. This did not make him feel very comfortable.

The team rose and Sheppard smiled warmly at them, but those that noticed just stared suspiciously at them and kept going. Then the guard returned and looked them over, as if he hadn't really seem them before. "Alright, strangers," he said. "Follow me."

"Where are we going?" Sheppard asked without moving.

The man gave a long suffering sigh. "To see our leader."

"Oh." He immediately lightened up. "Lead the way then."

They walked through the dusty and disorganized streets and passed houses that looked ready to collapse at any second. Stone ditches channeled water to the fields from somewhere in the center of town. The place had every indication of once being great, but had long since fallen into ruin and disrepair. Sheppard was sure that the Wraith had something to do with that.

At the center of the city was the source of water; probably the only source for miles. It was a small bubbling pool, about this size of a Stargate, that fed the ditches in every direction. Behind the spring was easily the largest building of all. Built of the same stone as the outside wall, it was a sizable domed structure rather like a temple. Like the rest, it looked like it had once been great, with intricate carvings and decorative paintings. Now the columns were crumbling, the paint chipping and fading, and the age old runes impossible to decipher.

Their guide marched right up to the entrance and called inside. "Gulah! There are strangers here!"

"Strangers?" came a voice from inside. "Where are they from?"

"I do not know."

An irritated grumbling echoed from inside. "Well show them in."

The guard led them inside. It took several moments for their eyes to adjust to the sudden dim light. Then they looked around in amazement. The inside was much better preserved and the walls were covered in intricate carvings and colorful designs.

"That's Ancient," McKay said in surprise. He pulled a sensor from his pocket and checked it. "I'm definitely getting some power readings too."

Sheppard jabbed him in the arm causing him to turn. An old, official looking man was staring at him in disapproval. His hair was long and dirty white and he wore robes of bright red and blue. Two younger men stood on either side of him while he himself sat in a small cushioned seat.

"You know of the Ancestors?" he asked. His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

There was no getting around it, so Sheppard decided to come clean. "Yes. As a matter of fact we do."

His eyes narrowed even further until they were mere slits. Then he waved a hand at the guard who had brought them. "You are dismissed. Return to your duties." The man bowed and departed. The old leader, Gulah, turned back to them. "Tell me. How much do you know about the Ancestors."

Wary of giving the man too much information too soon, Sheppard was quiet for a minute. "We know quite a bit," he answered vaguely. "Once we become friends, we might be able to teach you some things."

Gulah leaned closer, still staring intently. "Is that so. How did you get here, strangers?"

"We have names you know," John interrupted. "Don't you think we should be introduced first?"

"Very well. I am Gulah, leader of my people."

"I'm very pleased to meet you. I'm Major John Sheppard, this Dr. McKay, Teyla and Lt. Ford."

The man seem less than interested in the introductions and immediately returned the discussion to it's previous subject. "Now. How did you get here and where do you come from."

"We came through the Stargate." Gulah frowned without understanding so John tried again. "Big, black ring thing out in the desert." He gestured in the general direction they had come.

That got his attention. "The ring of the Ancestors!" he said in alarm.

"Yeah, if that's what you call it."

Gulah leaned over to one of his attendants and whispered covertly into his ear. Sheppard watched them with concern until the man left quickly out a side door. "Where's he going in such a hurry."

"I have sent him to get us some food," was the curt reply. John didn't believe him for a second, but there wasn't much he could do about it. "You still have not told me where exactly you are from."

John was getting more and more suspicious and decided not to give the man anymore information than necessary. He had a feeling he'd already said too much. "Oh, you know. From a planet far, far away."

Gulah was not amused. "Perhaps we should continue this discussion when you are in a more helpful mood."

"Maybe," Sheppard agreed. He was only too glad for a change of subject.

"In the mean time, I shall show you our modest city." He rose and gestured for them to lead the way outside. McKay grumbled about wanting to stay and examine the temple, but otherwise no one objected.

As soon as they stepped outside, they were aggressed by close to thirty men armed with spears and curved swords. The team raised their guns automatically, but held their fire. Despite their vastly superior weapons they were severely outnumbered. No one wanted to fight unless absolutely necessary, so both groups stood frozen in a temporary stalemate.

"What is the meaning of this!" Sheppard asked in anger.

"We only wanted to be your friends!" Teyla added in an attempt to help.

"Knowledge of the Ancestors is forbidden!" Gulah proclaimed, ignoring the team's protests. "We will not tolerate these blasphemers to defile our good city and its people!" The people roared their approval, and moved forward. Sheppard fired a few warning shots of the heads of the crowd. Surprised and afraid, they backed off a little.

Sheppard took the opportunity to issue a warning: "We'll only fight if we have too, but many of you would die. Now I don't want that, and neither do you. You do not want to make an enemy of us."

"Lies!" Gulah cried. "Do not listen to the traitors! They only seek to deceive and corrupt you!"

Spurred into action again, the mob rushed forward again. This time they came so fast and with such ferocity that the team had little chance to fight back. They tried anyway, but only succeeded in giving themselves bruises. In no time, they were bereft of their weapons and supplies and bustled off to the back of the temple. There, they were thrown down steep, narrow stairs and into a dank cellar.

"You're making a big mistake!" Sheppard shouted. Their captors just glared down at them and slammed the door shut. Alone in the suffocating dark, the team's only consolation was that is was cooler inside than out. Minutes passed by slowly, as if even time itself had forgotten them.


	4. Escape From the Pit

_AN: Sorry about the delay and thank you so much for the reviews! Now things really start to get exciting! Enjoy!_

**Chapter Four: Escape From the Pit**

Once the natives had gone, leaving Sheppard and his team alone, John spent a few minutes checking himself over. He was bruised, battered and had a few cuts and scrapes, but he was otherwise alright. He could already hear confused grumblings from his companions echoing in the cramped space. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yes, sir," Ford answered, somewhere to his right.

"I am fine," Teyla said from further off.

McKay made a few incomprehensible noises. "McKay?" Sheppard inquired.

"No I'm not ok!" he cried at last. "I've been manhandled by a bunch of dirty savage! And thrown into a pit! And left to rot! And..."

"Alright!" Sheppard cut him off. "You're getting hysterical."

"I assure you there is nothing funny about this!"

"Calm down!" Sheppard snapped, a little harder than he meant, but he was reaching the end of his patience. He peered around at their prison. It was difficult to make out details as the only light was filtering down through cracks in the wooden door.

From what he could see, they were in a small stone cell. The stairs jutted out from one wall and was the only visible entrance. The walls were high and rough and completely free of cracks or stresses. It surprised him that a people who seemed to take no care of their won dwellings would have such a well maintained prison. He wondered if they threw people in here often.

Well he did not intend to stay long enough to find out. He adjusted his position to be more comfortable and tried to think. After a few moments silence, McKay broke in: "So?"

John glared in his general direction. "So what?"

"What are we gonna do?"

He shrugged in response, which no one could see. "It's probably better just to wait."

"Wait! For what? For them to sharpen their swords?" He was to panicked at the moment to think clearly. Ironic since you would think he would be used to this by now.

Ford had already caught on. "If we don't make it back, Atlantis will send a search team."

"Who would probably make the same mistake we did and we'd all be one happy prison family!"

John frowned; McKay had a point. "Ok. Then we need to escape ourselves. What do we have to work with?"

"I have my knife," Teyla put in.

John smiled. "I figured that."

As it turned out, the mob had not a thorough search of them before they had been imprisoned. Even so, most of their equipment had been in their vests and packs. Besides the knife, they had a fire starter, one flashbang, three ammo packs, and two power bars. It wasn't much to work with.

Sheppard tiptoed up the stairs and tried to peek through the largest crack in the door. It was hard to see and he couldn't quite tell if a guard was posted outside. The door seemed solid and held in place by a large lock. It was primitive, but effective. He felt like Macgyver trying to puzzle a way out with almost nothing to work with. At that thought, an idea began to form in his mind. He went back down to the others feeling considerably more hopeful.

"I think I have an idea," he told. "We should wait until dark."

"What is it?" McKay asked.

"You'll see. We should get some rest for now."

"I'll take first watch," Ford volunteered.

X X X

Several hours later, Sheppard decided it was time. He woke the others and began to lay out his plan for escape. "We're gonna blast our way out," he said.

McKay was skeptical. "Oh right. With what?" He had already grabbed one of the power bars and started munching.

"With your snacks." John grabbed the second one and ripped it open. The others watched in fascination as he worked out his plan. First he emptied several bullet casings of gunpowder onto the bar. Then he mushed the sticky snack together. Then he cut a stripe of cloth and powdered it in gunpowder as well.

"What is that for?" Teyla asked.

"To break that lock and get out of here. Stand back and get ready to move."

He sneaked quietly up the stairs with the two items in hand. He stuffed the mush into the lock and stuck one end of the cloth into it. Then he stepped back and grabbed the fire starter.

Grinning like a school boy, he lit the end of the cloth. The flame sparkled and traveled up quickly. There was the briefest pause when it reached the top; then the door blasted open. The team ducked and shielded themselves from the shower of wooden slivers. Angry shouts came from outside.

"Time to go!" Sheppard yelled. Ford was ready with the flashbang and lobbed it through the remains of the door. It went off with a bang and a bright flash and several people cried out in shock.

They ran up the stairs and passed a small crowd of confused men who were still recovering from the blast. They went back around the temple aiming for the main road out of the city...and were halted by several hundred staring faces. Several bonfires bathed the seen in an eery flickering light. The natives appeared to have been having some kind of celebration, and they had walked right into it.

The men growled in anger and rushed forward. In no time, the square was filled with a confused milling of bodies. It was too dark for anyone to see clearly and soon they were mistaking each other for prisoners. It was a massive pit of chaos filled with punching, kicking and desperate fighting. The team tried desperately to stay together, but they were quickly separated and fighting for their lives.

Teyla found herself largely ignored and gradually pushed farther away from the main group until she was surrounded only by confused and worried women. These women were not participating in the fight, but had stepped back to stay out of the way, and it seemed that the men had mistaken her for one of their own in the dark. She made a few attempts to get closer to the action and find her friends, but kept being forced away.

Suddenly she felt something chill pass her arm and she whipped around ready to anything. Her gaze was met by a pair of startling gray eyes. They belonged to a strange man. He looked to be about forty, but there was something in his eyes that betrayed ages of experience. A wisp of golden locks escaped his round cap to blow delicately in the night breeze. He was no local.

"Who...?" Teyla began, but the man put a finger to his lips. He smiled and beckoned her to follow.

Teyla hesitated. She was reluctant to abandon her friends and she was equally reluctant to trust a complete stranger. Even so, she was intrigued. Who was he and what was he doing here? Finally, common sense won out. The bottom line was that if she stayed much longer, the people would recapture her. She needed to escape in order to help the others. She had little choice but to trust him.

She pushed her way through the crowd in his direction. It surprised her that he seemed to pass through so effortlessly, while she has to force and fight her way. They escaped the crowd and traveled down several deserted side streets. Twin moons provided more than enough light to see and was even bright enough to dim most of the stars. They reached a field of yellow green grass near the edge of town. Teyla could see the gate not far away and to her great surprise it was open.

What truly caught her eye, though, was the herd of strange animals grazing nearby. They did not appear to be restrained in any way and they only sign that they were anything but wild beast were the leather halters on each one. Each was at least five feet high and stood on four long legs. Their feet had three fat toes with thick calluses on their pads. Their bodies were muscular with long straight backs that ended in a short whippy tail. They had short necks and large heads with little round ears. They also had long snouts that they stretched down to feed. They had no fur or hair to speak of, but instead were covered with thick bumpy skin on their backs and faces and smoother underneath.

Teyla immediately understood. It would take far too long to reach the Stargate on foot and she could not fly the jumper. She turned to give her thanks to the man, but he had disappeared. She shook away her confusion and grabbed the halter of one of the animals. The sleepy creature jerked slightly but made no other protest.

As she mounted, she heard several cries of anger. Several men were running for the gate to cut her off. Teyla kicked hard at the creature, hoping it was faster than it looked. It gave a startled grunt and lunged forward in such a bouncy gate that Teyla nearly fell off. It bolted for freedom with her clinging to its back. As they passed under the gate it slammed shut inches behind them. The men shouted through the bars and shook their fists, but it was too late: they had escaped.

X X X

John fought desperately, but he knew it was hopeless. He had already lost track of his team and he was surrounded by an angry mob of strong men. Suddenly his head exploded in pain and he black out. He woke a few moments later, just in time to catch himself as he was once again thrown into the dark cell.

Ford and McKay were already their. The lieutenant had a fantastic black eye and was nursing a few bruised ribs. McKay was a little worse off and was holding a limp right arm with a pained expression. "Are you alright, sir?" Ford asked.

He checked and was dismayed to find that besides his pounding head, the fall had mangled his left leg. "I've been better," he answered through gritted teeth as the pain started to set in. "Where's Teyla?"

"Your woman will soon be no more," Gulah said from the door. "No one survives in the wasteland."

"When will you understand that we haven't done anything!" McKay cried.

"That does not matter. That you exist is enough of an insult to our Ancestors. Thankfully it will end soon."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sheppard asked, dreading the answer.

"Tomorrow. Your deaths will begin." With that they covered the broken door with several more layers of strong wood beams. Once more the prisoners were left alone in the dark with this happy thought.

TBC

_So...please tell me what you thought!_


	5. Surprise Visit

_AN: It saddens me that fewer people are reading my story now. I work hard on this. Still, I know some people are reading it, so I will continue. Once again, please reveiw! Reviews make me happy and happiness helps me write better and faster!_

_Spoilers: Forgot to mention that this story has small spoliers for _Sanctuary.

**Chapter Five: Surprise Visit**

"Ow! Careful will ya?" McKay cried. Lt. Ford was using his shirt to try and make a sling for the scientist's busted arm.

"Shut it, McKay," Sheppard ordered. "He's only trying to help." He winced as he wrapped his own shirt tightly around his messy leg.

"Maybe if you didn't move so much," Ford suggested. "It's hard enough in the dark." He did some final adjustments. "There. That should be good until we get back."

"If we get back," McKay snapped. "May I remind you that we have a time limit?"

"Teyla got through," Sheppard pointed out. "She'll get help."

"Teyla can't fly the jumper. It'll take her a long time to reach the gate. And just for the record, that was the stupidest escape plan ever!"

"It was a good try," said a calm, almost playful voice.

All three jumped in shock and turned towards the stairs. In the dim moonlight from the repaired door, they could see a middle aged man sitting on the steps as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Who the hell are you!" Sheppard blurted out. "How did you get in here?"

The man's eyes twinkled. "That is a very interesting question."

"Yeah," Ford said. "I hope you have an interesting answer."

"Or what? You can't do anything to me. Technically, I'm not even here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" McKay asked. He had the strangest feeling that the man reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite remember who.

"It means...what ever you want it to mean."

"Alright. Enough games," Sheppard said. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"My name is Alaqi. And the question is: what do you want."

Sheppard narrowed his eyes is suspicion. "Getting out of her would be nice," he said tentatively.

"Already in hand."

"What do you mean?"

"Your friend is on her way to Atlantis. She'll be there soon."

"Why are you helping us?"

"I'm not. You're helping yourselves. I am merely a guide along the path."

"What's in it for you?" Ford asked.

"I have my reasons."

"Ree'an, " McKay said suddenly. He had finally worked out why the man was so familiar.

Alaqi looked at him. "Yes."

Sheppard stared. "Than you're her..."

"Yes. I am her father."

Sheppard would have laughed at the cliché Star Wars line, but the situation was too dire. Suddenly, he felt anger rising at the audacity of the man. "Some father. Do you have any idea what that girl has been through! Why didn't you do something then?"

He didn't answer, but there was a hint of sadness is his eyes. "You can't do anything can you?" Sheppard asked.

"If I could, believe me, I would have."

"It's your punishment," McKay realized. "Like Cheya. You're not allowed to help your own daughter." He stared in horror. He could only imagine how terrible it must have been to watch helplessly as his own child was orphaned. Orphaned...God! That meant that Ree'an's mother... He didn't finish the thought; it was too cruel.

Sheppard softened a bit. "What can we do?"

He reached into his shirt and pulled out something that glinted silver in the moonlight. Sheppard took it; it felt cool in his hand, like some form of metal. It was a carved circular pendant, about an inch in diameter and hanging on a long chain. "For her," Alaqi said. He stood and seemed about to leave.

"Wait!" McKay cried. "What about us?"

"I will do what I can. Be patient." He pointed to the necklace. "Do not forget." Then he was gone. No flash of light, no woosh of air; he was just gone.

"Now what?" Ford asked.

"Now...we wait," Sheppard put the necklace in his pocket and leaned back. He put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Tomorrow would be a busy day. He just hoped it wouldn't be his last.

X X X

It took Teyla nearly the whole night to reach the Stargate. The ride was long and uncomfortable. The creature's rolling lope made her feel nauseous and its rough skin chaffed her legs. She was forced to cling to its neck to stay on, which put her body in a cramped position. By the time the journey was over, she was sore, tired and thirsty. Thankfully, the DHD was at the gate. It was covered with dust and sand from disuse, but it looked fully functional. Teyla wasted no time in dialing Atlantis.

Dr. Weir and Ree'an were waiting when she came through. They were shocked and dismayed when no one else came after her. "Where's you team, Teyla?" Elizabeth asked.

"We were taken prisoner. The others are still there. We have to go back for them."

"Are they in any immediate danger?"

"I do not know, but I do not believe we should delay long."

"First, I want you to check in with Dr. Beckett. Then meet us in the briefing room and we'll get a rescue operation going."

Teyla was too tired to protest and walked off to the infirmary. Ree'an turned to Dr. Weir: "Is it wise to wait even a little? They could be in big trouble."

"It's better to have a plan than to rush in blindly." She smiled. "Not that that doesn't work sometimes, but this way we're better prepared for what could happen."

Ree'an nodded. "I hope we can rescue them."

"So do I."

Half an hour later, Dr. Weir met with Teyla, Sgt. Bates, Dr. Beckett and Ree'an in the briefing room of the control tower. Teyla gave a short description of events and the present situation. No one liked what they heard.

"Alright people," Weir said. "Options?"

"I say we take a couple of jumpers and blast our way in," Sgt. Bates said.

"I'd rather not resort to violence if we don't have to." She turned to Teyla. "Any chance we could talk to these people? Would they listen to reason?"

"It is unlikely. Major Sheppard already tried. They are fanatical and their leader would not listen to us."

"If only we could make them listen," Beckett said with frustration.

Weir nodded. "I hate to say it, but a show of force might be our only option." She glanced at everyone for agreement, but Ree'an was looking elsewhere, lost in thought. "Ree'an?"

She turned and smiled. An idea was forming in her devious little mind. "These people seem superstitious," she commented. The people on Kor'ania had been too, but her father had taught her to look past it. "Perhaps we could trick them into letting Sheppard and the others go."

Everyone stared at her now. "What kind of trick?" Bates asked.

"You have a lot of very powerful things here. Things they have never seen before. Like the puddle jumpers. If we flew one over the city, they might mistake us for the Ancestors."

"And then we could ask them to release our people," Weir finished, thoughtful. "That's a good idea." Teyla nodded her own agreement, though Bates was not so enthusiastic.

"Bates, take two jumpers and a full rescue team," Weir ordered. "We may have to resort to force if something goes wrong. I want three pilots and a medical team, just in case." She glanced and Beckett.

He looked uncomfortable, but nodded. "I'll go, but I'd rather avoid flying if I can help it."

"You may have to. Without Sheppard, we're short on pilots."

"Ree'an could fly," he pointed out.

"She doesn't have any training!" Bates growled. "And don't you think she's a little young?"

"She flew a dart!" Carson was looking for any excuse not to have to fly. "It's not much different."

Weir considered them both, but had to agree with Bates for once. "I'd rather not chance it; Carson, you'll have to fly one."

Both Beckett and Ree'an looked disappointed, but they didn't argue further. "Alright," Weir concluded. "Let's go people!"

No one hesitated and quickly prepared to set out. They had friends to save.

TBC


	6. The End is Nigh

_Please leave reviews!_

**Chapter Six: The End is Nigh**

Major Sheppard woke to McKay shaking him gently with his uninjured arm. It was midmorning and the sun was bright even through the slits in the door. That surprised him since he hadn't meant to sleep so long.

"How are you feeling?" Ford asked from the stairs.

John didn't answer for a minute. He tried to sit up, but suddenly felt dizzy and woozy and had to steady himself on Rodney. The scientist hissed as he grabbed the wrong arm. "Careful!" he snapped, but stopped when he got a good look at his friend. "Major?"

"I'm fine," he lied. His head throbbed and his leg felt like it was on fire. He glanced at the injured limb and groaned. It was still bleeding. Granted it was slow and sluggish, but it was still blood loss. He probably didn't have much more to spare. He cursed inwardly; he did not have time for this.

"Someone's coming," Ford called from his lookout.

John tried to nod, but thought better of it. "Help me up." He gritted his teeth and, with Ford on one side and McKay on the other, managed to stand upright. Just in time for Gulah's return through the repaired door.

"Good morning!" he said with a nasty grin. He seemed sickeningly cheerful about their upcoming executions.

"What's good about it?" Sheppard retorted. He tried to stand on his own, but was forced to rely on Ford's support.

"Can't we get some help here?" McKay asked angrily.

"What would be the point? Soon your miserable existence will end." He gestured and a group of strong men came forward. They grabbed the three and began forcing them outside roughly.

"Hey! Watch it!" McKay cried, as one of them jostled his arm painfully. None of them put up much resistance. They no longer had the energy. Two of the guards had to practically drag Sheppard up the stairs. The experience was extremely painful and did nothing to help his headache, either.

They were taken around to the courtyard between the temple and the spring. Three wooden stakes, about six feet high, had been set up. The sight made their hearts sink. Sheppard tried to be cheerful: "Burning, huh? Isn't that a little cliché?"

"Nothing so easy, blasphemer," Gulah smiled evilly and John started to get a truly nasty feeling. Last time he'd checked, burning was not a particularly easy death.

McKay was starting to panic. He had been through too much to restrain himself any longer and started to babble is desperation. "You can't be serious! This is inhuman! Just let us go! We'll believe anything you want!"

"McKay!" Sheppard warned, but Gulah beat him to it.

"It is too late," he cackled. "Far too late." He pointed and the three were each bound to a stake. McKay cried out when his guard yanked his arm out of the sling and tied it behind him. He felt dizzy with pain and soon had to concentrate all his energy to keep himself from fainting. John didn't fair much better. Forced to stand on his own with on the minimal support from the wooden pole, his leg was screaming in protest. He fought desperately to pay attention and ignore the pain and his increasingly pounding headache.

Gulah stood in front of the crowd, proclaiming the glory of the Ancients. "Today," he said. "We cleanse our city of the filth of blasphemy. Today the Ancestors will be pleased with our faithfulness and shower us with their blessings. These traitors will remain before the mercy of the elements until they die. May the Ancestors have mercy and grant you a quick death." Gulah's tone betrayed his lack of real concern for the well being of his prisoners.

"You can't just leave us here!" McKay cried. It was already hot. By midday it would be scorching, though they would die of dehydration long before the sun killed them. It was a slow and terrible way to die, and he knew it.

"Yes. I can," Gulah spat back.

He was about to leave when something unexpected happened. Alaqi suddenly appeared out of thin air. He was dressed in a simple black and white robe. Gulah and his followers were shocked and immediately prostrated themselves on the ground.

"My Lord," Gulah said reverently. "You bless us with your presence. To what do we owe this great honor?"

Alaqi said nothing, but he frowned deeply and crossed his arms in anger. Gulah started to lose confidence. "Have we displeased you, my Lord? Truly we are most devout worshippers."

"Why are these people being treated with such cruelty?" Alaqi's voice was hard; he spoke with absolute authority.

"Please, my Lord. We only desire to honor you." Their was a touch of fear now in Gulah's once commanding voice.

"By killing innocent bystanders?" he asked angrily, his voice rising in volume. "You call that honorable!" The crowd cowered as if they expected to be smitten at any second. Alaqi started to say more, but then his face twisted in surprise. His body began to fade as if pulled by an invisible force.

"My Lord!" Gulah cried in horror.

Alaqi turned to John. "Remember your promise." His voice was soft and almost desperate. Then he was gone.

The people wailed in lament. A few even began to proclaim that it was end of them all. Gulah, however, stood transfixed. His perfect little world had suddenly shattered. Everything was crumbling out of his control and he could not seem to stop it. A burning anger welled up in his heart. It wasn't fair! He had everything planned! He collapsed to the ground in despair. Why did it all have to go so horribly wrong?

X X X

Beckett, Teyla and Ree'an were riding in one puddle jumper, while Bates and his team rode in another. As they cruised over the city, they could make out a crowd surrounding the central spring. There, tied to three tall poles, were their missing friends. They looked terrible and, for a moment, Ree'an thought they had come too late. Then she saw them moving and she let out a breath in relief. The people around them were crying and wailing as if they thought it was the end of the world.

"What're they doing?" Beckett asked with some surprise. "We're still cloaked, aren't we?"

"I do not believe it was us," Teyla said. "Something else is going on."

One man near the front of the group rose up and began shouting. His hands flew about in wild gesticulations. Some of the people looked up and watched him.

"What's he saying?" Beckett asked. The whole scene was started to make him nervous and he desperately wanted to reach his friends.

"I do not know," Teyla said. "But I do not like it."

"I don't think we should wait to find out," Ree'an said "We need to get them out of there."

"Agreed," Teyla said. "Sgt. Bates? Can you distract the crowd while we rescue Major Sheppard and the others?"

"Will do," he responded. "But be quick."

The second jumper appeared and was instantly spotted by several people below. They screamed and soon the entire crowd was turned in its direction; away from the prisoners.

Carson frowned in concentration and gently landed the jumper behind the stakes with its rear hatch facing them. As soon as it was down, the three rushed quickly outside. Now they could hear the terrified screams of the gathering. Teyla could see Gulah nearby. He was trying desperately to regain control of the crowd and failing.

Teyla, Beckett, and Ree'an went quickly to their friends' sides and started to cut them loose. Ree'an had Lt. Ford free in no time and the two started to retreat back to the jumper. Teyla took a bit longer to release McKay because she was struggling not to distort his broken arm any further. Rodney made a few painful noises, which thankfully were drowned out by the crowd.

Dr. Beckett had gone to Major Sheppard, but the man was almost completely out of it. The stress had caused his leg to bleed freely again and he had started to lose consciousness. Carson had to practically carry him as they made their way slowly back to the jumper.

It wasn't fast enough. As Ree'an and Ford disappeared into the jumper, Gulah turned and saw them. "The traitors are escaping!" he screamed. "Kill them! They betrayed the Ancestors!" Almost at once the crowd rose up and roared with anger. Spurred by fear and anger they rushed towards the escaping prisoners. Gulah himself, to his shock, was swept up in the mob as they charged forward. No one had any control anymore; it was complete chaos.

Teyla and Rodney just managed to reach the jumper, but Carson and John were quickly buried under the tide of angry men, women, and even children. "Major! Dr. Beckett!" Teyla cried, but they had both disappeared in the swelling mass of bodies.

Ree'an stood frozen in horror. Her mind worked feverishly. They'd be killed! She had to do something! But what? Ford and Teyla tried to push their way through the crowd but kept getting pushed back. The people didn't even seem to noticed the invisible jumper.

The jumper! That was it! Ree'an rushed to the control panel and sent a rapid order to the machine. The jumper decloaked, but that only caused some of the nearby people to stop. Many were too distracted to see even this sudden appearance. Ree'an felt her anger rising. How could they be so stupid! They should be trying to fight the Wraith, not each other. In sudden fury, she fired two drones up into the air. The yellow missiles rose above the mob and started down towards the mob.

"What are you doing!" Ford shouted at her. "You'll kill the Major!"

Ree'an snapped back in panic. The drones changed direction in midair and struck each other instead. The impact exploded with a loud boom and a shower of sparks only a few feet above the heads of the crowd. People screamed and fell back in terror. Teyla and Ford ran back out and pulled their friends to safety. "Get us outta here!" Ford cried, when they were safe aboard.

Ree'an took a deep breath and cloaked the jumper again. Then she took off. The jumper soared smoothly at her unspoken commands. This was better than the Wraith dart...much better. The jumper seemed to feel which way to go. It was truly amazing.

Major Sheppard barely noticed the movement. He was rapidly losing his grip on reality. He heard concerned voices, but could no longer discern what they were saying. As his world faded, his last thoughts were: '_Oh no. Not again_.'

TBC

_AN: I know, I know. Shameless use of a Hitchhiker's quote. I just couldn't resist! One more chapter to go! Many thanks to Vilya, Janet, Jedi, Snow'sCat, and everyone else who left me reviews. Your support has meant a lot to me. Thanks so much!_


	7. Family and Friends

_AN: Last chapter! A big thank you to everyone who's been reading! I hope you enjoyed it._

**Chapter Seven: Family and Friends**

John heard quiet voices. He opened his eyes, but had to close them as the sudden light assailed his senses. His head swam and his leg throbbed with a burning pain, but he was alive. He had survived yet again.

"There you are, lad," Dr. Beckett said cheerfully. "We were gettin' worried about you."

"How do you feel?" Elizabeth asked.

"Lousy. But I can't complain." He squinted around. He was in the infirmary. Beckett, Weir and Teyla were there and he could make out Ford and McKay sleeping nearby. "What happened?"

"Ree'an saved your life," Teyla told him. "Then she flew us back to Atlantis."

"Aye," Carson agreed. "And it's just as well she did. It was touch and go back there for a while. We almost lost you."

He frowned, trying to remember. "What about you, doc?"

Carson dismissed his concern. "I'm fine. A few bruises, that's all. We were mostly concerned about you."

"Mmmm. Good," he mumbled. His jumbled memories were starting to return. "Where is she?"

The three looked at each other in confusion. "Where is who?" Teyla asked.

"Ree'an."

"Outside. Playing with Jamie," Elizabeth told him. "She wanted to let you rest."

"Which you should be doing now," Carson pointed out.

"I need to talk to her," John said, determined.

"Can't it wait?" Carson asked. "You're not fit to be seeing anyone. I shouldn't even have let Dr. Weir and Teyla in."

"It's important," he insisted.

Carson sighed. He could see that John would not rest until he was satisfied. "Alright," he said reluctantly. "But only for for a few minutes." He left to check on McKay and Ford.

"I will get her for you," Teyla said. She smiled "It is good to see you well again, Major."

As she left, Elizabeth turned to John. "Why the urgency?"

He considered telling her everything, but decided that Ree'an should hear it first. "We met someone close to her," he said simply. "I promised to deliver something for him."

She nodded. Ford had actually reported the events to her earlier while John had been unconscious. She turned to leave. "I'm glad you're alright, John."

"So am I."

X X X

Ree'an was just down the hall, playing with Beckett's little pet sea dragon. She had a small ball on a long string. She jerked the ball around while Jamie pounced it. When he caught it they played tug-of-war until Ree'an inevitably regained control.

"Ree'an."

She looked up in surprise and Jamie snatched the ball and string from her grasp. Teyla smiled. "Major Sheppard wants to see you."

Ree'an frowned. 'Why would he want me?' she wondered. "Is he alright?"

"He will be fine. Go on now."

Ree'an went. Major Sheppard was propped up on some pillows on the farthest bed. He looked frightfully pale, but his eyes were bright and alert. She sat in the chair Dr. Weir had vacated. "How are you feeling?"

He gave a smirk. "Why do people always ask people that after they're injured?"

"I'm sorry," she said apologetically.

"I was kidding." She frowned and he sighed. "Don't worry about it."

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah." He reached over to the side table where Dr. Beckett had left his clothes. With some effort, he pulled something from one of the pockets. Ree'an eyed it curiously as he held it out to her. "I was asked to give you this."

In the light, John got his first good look at Alaqi's gift. It was a miniature Stargate. Complete in every detail. Every symbol was carefully etched in the silver-black metal and it even had tiny pale blue gems for the chevrons. If he hadn't known better, he'd say that someone had shrunk a real gate.

Ree'an stared at it, speechless. "Where did you get this?" she asked in a whisper.

John was surprised by her reaction and tried to think of the best way to answer her. "A man named Alaqi visited us on the planet," he began. Ree'an was barely listening. She didn't need John's spoken confirmation to know the answer to her own question.

Without another word, she turned and bolted from the room, still staring at the pendant in her hand. Beckett watched her go in surprise. "What happened?"

"I don't know." John leaned back on his pillows. He was too tired to think anymore.

"Get some rest," Beckett ordered. "You can worry about Ree'an later." John nodded and drifted off into oblivion.

X X X

Ree'an wandered aimlessly through corridors, too distracted to think about where she was going. Her father's amulet. She remembered it well. Hadn't she played with it enough as a child? Her mind couldn't get around what that meant.

Her father was alive.

She shook her head. No. It was impossible. How could he be alive? Where had he been all this time? Why had he left at all? Questions piled in her brain, but no answers.

Her steps took her to the puddle jumper bay. The room was deserted. Ree'an made her way to one of the jumpers. She had to think, had to get away. In her confused mind, she could only think of one thing: she just couldn't stay any longer.

X X X

Dr. Weir sat in her office, trying to type a report of the day's events. She had just started to explain the rescue mission, when she was interrupted by Peter Grodin rushing in. "Someone just opened the outer doors in the jumper bay!"

She frowned. "I didn't know anyone was flying today."

"They're not." Weir followed him back to the control room. Grodin pointed to one of the screens where a lone dot slowly rose above the planet.

"Who is that?" she asked. He shrugged.

At that moment, Dr. Beckett called from the infirmary: "Dr. Weir."

"Go ahead."

"I can't find Ree'an, is she with you? She seemed pretty upset about something."

Weir watched the dot move further away with increasing worry. "I think I know where she went." She turned back to Grodin. "Can you open communications with that jumper?"

He pressed a few buttons. "Done."

"Ree'an," Elizabeth called. "Ree'an, please respond." Silence. "I'm not angry," she coxed. "Ree'an, what's wrong?"

Still nothing. Then... "He left me." Ree'an's voice was distant, as if she barely comprehended what she was saying.

"Who left you?" Silence again. "Ree'an?"

"Why did he leave me? Doesn't he love me anymore?" Ree'an's voice was getting high-pitched; like a child's. Elizabeth realized that she hadn't even been listening. She was talking to herself, lost in memories. This was bad. If she didn't snap out of it, she'd keep flying further and further from Atlantis.

"Ree'an. Please listen to me. Tell me what's wrong."

"Go away," she whined. At least she had registered the voice.

"Ree'an, what's going on?"

"Why do you care?" Her voice had a sharp bit to it. "He didn't care."

"Who is 'he'?" Pause. "Ree'an?"

"Father."

That explained a lot. Ford had mentioned that they had met Ree'n's father on the planet. She had thought that the girl would be happy; not angry and upset.

"Is that what this is about?" Elizabeth asked, kindly.

"He left me. He left me all alone."

"He had no choice."

"He didn't want me. Who would?"

"We do."

"Why?"

"For one thing, you saved McKay's life. Don't you remember? That tends to make a good impression on people."

"I was stupid. I let my anger take control. Like today. I almost killed Major Sheppard and Dr. Beckett. You never really wanted me. It's just because I have these Ancient genes."

Elizabeth could not believe how Ree'an could think so poorly of herself. "That's not true!" No answer. "Ree'an? Are you alright?"

High above the planet, Ree'an floated in a sea of stars. Dr. Weir's voice echoed in the small space, but she wasn't listening anymore. Absently, she reached over and turned the communications off. Blessed silence flooded her. She needed to be alone. Being alone was all she really understood anymore.

She glanced down at the necklace and in a fit of anger flung it across the jumper. It clanged to the floor a short distance away. Ree'an stared at it with tears in her eyes. The events of her life, which she had tried so hard to forget, were all coming back harder than ever: the loss of her home, the death of her mother, her father...her father leaving her. She hugged her knees and buried her face in despair.

A tiny sound caught her ear. She looked up. The center ring on the necklace had started spinning. The blue crystals glowed softly and a figure appeared suspended above them. It was a young woman with long brown hair and dark eyes. Even though the figure was only six inches high, Ree'an knew who it was. She could never forget that face...it was her mother.

She was smiling with a joy Ree'an had rarely seen after her father left. They had been so happy once. She rocked a small bundle in her arms and cooed tenderly. A tiny wisp of golden hair escaped from the cloth. 'Me' Ree'an thought in awe.

The figure began to hum softly. A familiar tune from the depths of time. Ree'an's tearful eyes fixed on the swaying form. Then, it began to sing in a sweet, melodious voice.

"_Sweet peace for thee, my tiny child_

_La la lou lee, lou lay_

_Safe here with me, forever be_

_La la lou lee, lou lay_"

The song trailed off back to humming. Then the figure began to fade. When it was gone, Ree'an was alone once more. Yet, she felt strangely comforted. This had been her father's and he had given it to her. He could not have given her a more precious gift if he had given her the stars themselves.

She went back to the controls. It was time to go back. Her new friends would be worried. Friends? Was she already thinking of them that way? It didn't matter. She knew it was the right word.

As she flew back to the planet, she thought about her father. She couldn't forgive him just yet, but, like her mother, she would live on in the hope that they might, one day, be reunited. Then, maybe, she would understand why he had done what he did. After all, life had to go on.

A short time later, Ree'an guided the jumper back into Atlantis. Dr. Weir was waiting for her when she got back. It was only after she saw Elizabeth's concerned face, that Ree'an realized how much she had worried people. Blushing, she avoided Dr. Weir's eyes and mumbled an apology.

Elizabeth ignored it. "Are you alright?"

She considered. She wasn't really. She was still upset, confused, and sad. Still, she would recover, and she knew it. "I will be."

"Are you sure?"

She gave a small smile. "Yes."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. Right now, I need time to think."

Elizabeth nodded. "Get some rest too." Ree'an nodded too and started to leave.

"Ree'an." She turned back. "You did good today," Elizabeth told her. "Thank you."

She smiled more warmly this time. "Anything for a friend." As she walked back to her quarters, she felt suddenly more happy than she had in a long time. Yes; they were her friends. And she would fight to keep them together.

THE END

_AN: For those who are interested, the lullaby is song to the tune of 'The Coventry Carol.' Once again, thanks for reading! And a big thank you to my beta readers, Geoff and Nate. Could never have done it without them_. _Thanks again! _


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